USC has a battle in the middle

USC linebacker Chris Galippo (Servite High) bulked up during the offseason and is 'definitely playing his best ball,' Coach Lane Kiffin said. MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 2

USC's Devon Kennard brings down San Jose State running back Ina Liaina last season. Kennard, a defensive end in 2009, is battling Chris Galippo for the starting middle linebacker spot. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

USC linebacker Chris Galippo (Servite High) bulked up during the offseason and is 'definitely playing his best ball,' Coach Lane Kiffin said. MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

LOS ANGELES – By far the most interesting position battle in USC's spring football camp is the one raging at middle linebacker.

The combatants are a study in contrasts.

Incumbent Chris Galippo (Servite High) is a cerebral quarterback of the defense who had to wait his turn and wade through injuries before finally getting his chance. Once he did, he started off strong before fading, raising questions about whether he can handle the physical demands of the job.

Challenger Devon Kennard played immediately as a freshman – at defensive end. Injuries prompted a midseason switch to strong-side linebacker. The new coaching staff thought so much of Kennard's ability to handle that move that they shifted him to the middle, where his trials are more mental than physical.

So who's winning a little more than a week into spring drills?

"(It's) very close," Trojans coach Lane Kiffin said. "Both of them have played as well as anyone has on defense so far."

Predictably, Galippo has looked sharper in pass coverage, Kennard stronger against the run.

The highlight play of 2009 for Galippo was an interception against Ohio State in the second week of the season. He returned the ball 51 yards to the Buckeyes 2.

Through the first seven games of last season, Galippo arguably was USC's MVP. But after averaging 6.9 tackles in the first seven games, he managed just 3.7 in the final six.

"There's no doubt in my head that when it came halfway through the season, toward the end of the season, my body felt it a little bit, started breaking down on me a little bit," said Galippo, a redshirt junior who missed parts of two seasons because of back surgeries and had mononucleosis last offseason.

"By the time it came to the Emerald Bowl against Boston College, I was just one step behind. ... To me, it was just a complete learning process. I learned what it was like to be on top, and I learned what it was like to be on the bottom. I think it's time to just balance it out and stay consistent."

Galippo bulked up this offseason and is "definitely playing his best ball," Kiffin said.

"He's playing better, he looks healthy and he's moving around better," Kiffin said. "I don't know if that's because other guys are there."

At least one guy is having a profound influence.

Galippo said he welcomed competition this year because he never felt pushed last year. Kennard is pushing him. Hard.

"He has proven (himself) the last three days," linebackers coach Joe Barry said of Kennard after Saturday's practice. "I think he's got a chance to be pretty damn good."

Kennard first greeted the news of his second position switch with shock. Soon after, he embraced the challenge.

"Once I realized they were serious, I was like, 'Let's go,'" Kennard said. "From that day forward I started learning everything at middle, doing everything at middle. Now I look, feel and play like a middle linebacker."

The 6-foot-3 Kennard is playing at what he calls a "more natural" weight of 242 pounds, and linebacker is starting to feel more natural to him after he relied almost solely on raw athletic ability last season. Whatever struggles he endured, they apparently didn't show up on film.

"Going from a down lineman to a linebacker is a hard adjustment through a fall camp. This guy did it in one week. That's unheard of," Kiffin said. "This guy, potentially, is a really, really special player. ... We want to make sure he's at the most important position that there is."

USC won't release a depth chart until the day before the May 1 spring game. In the meantime, the Galippo-Kennard battle rages on.

Related Links

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.